The Best Abdominal Exercises
 
Top 3 Stomach Exercises
(No equipment needed)
 

    Bicycle maneuver
    Lie flat with your lower back pressed
    to the floor. Put your hands behind
    your head. Bring knees up to about 45-
    degree angle and slowly go through a
    bicycle pedal motion. Touch your left
    elbow to your right knee, then your
    right elbow to your left knee.
 
    Vertical Leg Crunch
    Lie flat with your lower back pressed
    to the floor. Put your hands behind
    your head for support. Extend your
    legs straight up in the air, crossed at
    the ankles with a slight bend in the
    knee. Contract your abdominal
    muscles by lifting your torso toward
    your knees. Make sure to keep your
    chin off your chest with each
    contraction. Exhale as you contract
    upward; inhale as you return to the
    starting position.
 
 
    Reverse Crunch
    Lie flat with your lower back pressed
    to the floor. Put your hands beside
    your head or extend them out flat to
    your sides —whatever feels most
    comfortable. Crossing your feet at the
    ankles, lift your feet off the ground to
    the point where your knees create a
    90-degree angle. Once in this
    position, press your lower back on the
    floor as you contract your abdominal
    muscles. Your hips will slightly rotate
    and your legs will reach towards the
    ceiling with each contraction. Exhale
    as you contract; inhale as you return
    to the starting position. (Pictures
    courtesy of Ace)
 
Everybody wants to have a flat stomach. Who doesn't? A flat stomach is not only
good for health reasons,  it also makes you  feel like a million dollars and makes
you look good.
    Strong abs help with good posture,
    alleviate lower back pain and are
    essential for long-term health and
    well being. Definitely, it's worth the
    effort to get rid of that bulging tummy.

    What are the most effective
    exercises for getting a flat stomach?

    To answer that question, a team of
    researchers from San Diego
    University studied 13 of the most
    common abdominal exercises.

    They recruited 30 healthy men and
    women aged between 20 and 45,
    ranging from occasional exercisers
    to those who worked out daily.

The participants were put through a
battery of exercises, including the
traditional crunch, modified
crunches, partial body weight
exercises and exercises using both
home and gym equipment.

    All of the exercises targeted the
    midsection and were introduced in
    random order. The muscle activity of
    each participant was closely
    monitored by the researchers as
    they exercised.

    After extensive collection and
    analysis of data, this is what the
    researchers found.

    The exercises which had generated
    the most muscle activity in the
    obliques through constant
    abdominal stabilization, as well as
    body rotation, were found to be the
    best for strengthening and trimming
    the abdominals and achieving a flat
    stomach.

    Topping the list is the bicycle
    maneuver, followed closely by the
    captain's chair.As for home exercise
    equipment, crunches on an
    exercise ball ranked highest,
    coming in third overall.

    The Traditional Crunch, in which
    one curls up and forward lifting the
    head, neck and shoulder blades
    while lying on one's back with knees
    bent flat on the floor, came in a
    disappointing 11th.

    The study found that many of the
    exercises proved relatively effective
    at working the abdominal muscles -
    some were just more effective than
    the others.

    No matter which exercises you
    choose for getting a flat stomach,
    the important thing is to train and
    strengthen your abdominal muscles.

(Note: If you are a beginner or have
a medical problem, please consult
your doctor before starting any
exercise program.
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